The Game (episode)
Wesley Crusher visits the Enterprise and finds everyone addicted to a mind-controlling game. Summary Commander Riker is on shore leave on Risa, and he has been spending time with a woman he has met there called Etana Jol (a Ktarian). She introduces to him a "game", involving a device that fits over the ears, which projects an image of circles going into tubes. When the circle goes into the tube, the player is "rewarded" by receiving pleasure signals from the device. He enjoys it so much that he takes it back to the ''Enterprise'' with him. Once on board, he introduces the other bridge staff to the game, starting with Deanna Troi. Wesley Crusher visits the Enterprise while on holiday from the Academy, and he is enlisted in helping the Engineering team adapt the sensors to allow the large groups of science teams currently onboard to monitor the Phoenix Cluster, which the Enterprise has been sent to explore. Whilst doing this, he meets, and is attracted to Ensign Robin Lefler. By this time, Dr Crusher, Deanna Troi and Riker have tried the game, and it becomes obvious that it has a mind-controlling effect. They invite Data to sickbay, where Dr Crusher incapacitates him. With Data out of the way, the game is quickly replicated and distributed throughout the ship, and by the time Wesley and Robin have noticed what's going on, almost everyone is playing it, in fact it seems like everyone has played the game apart from them. Wesley and Robin investigate the device in sickbay, and determine that it has a psychotropically addictive side-effect, and that it stimulates increased serotonin production. Most worryingly, it also stimulates the brain's higher reasoning area. They also investigate Data's mysterious "malfunction", and determine that someone has disconnected his positronic brain from the rest of his body. After ensuring the entire crew has played the game (Wesley and Robin manage to fool Dr Crusher by using fake game devices), Captain Picard signals Etana's ship that they are prepared to distribute the device to other starships in the sector. After communicating with Etana, the bridge crew discover that Robin and Wesley have been deceiving them, and attempt to trap Wesley. He eludes them for a while, but is eventually captured and brought to the bridge where he is forced to use the game device. At that moment, Data appears from the turbolift and flashes a palm-beacon to disrupt the mind-controlling effects of the game. After the rest of the crew are subjected to the flashes, Worf locks onto Etana's ship with a tractor beam. After making clear to Etana that she cannot escape, the Enterprise takes her to Starbase 82, to let starfleet deal with her and her crew. Background Information Wesley Crusher is seen wearing the 2369 uniform varient. Links and References Main Cast *Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard *Jonathan Frakes as William Riker *Brent Spiner as Data *LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge *Michael Dorn as Worf *Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher Guest Stars *Ashley Judd as Robin Lefler *Katherine Moffat as Etana Jol *Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien *Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa *Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher Co-Starring *Diana M. Hurley as Ensign References A.F.; Anthropology; Boothby; Creative Writing; ''Endeavour'', USS; Horne, Walter; Latin; Lefler's Laws; Martoni, Adam; ''Merrimack'', USS; Novakovich; O'Brien, Molly; ''Oberth''-class; Oceanus IV; Sadie Hawkins Dance; ''Zhukov'', USS. Game, The de:Gefährliche Spielsucht nl:The Game